Page 60 of Weatherman

“Show’s over. Let’s get back to it, shall we? Who’s next?” Tambre called out. “Opal, do you need a minute?”

I swear nothing fazed that woman. “I’m fine.” The tears finally broke. “I’m so, so sorry, Tambre. I’m… not that person anymore.”

“If we measured everyone by their past, we’d all be underground. Every person in the world has challenges, some more than others. It’s not the trials that judge us but the way we rise and deal with them after.”

Tambre’s earthy alto floated around me like a warm hug. She couldn’t physically do that, though, as I was still in Bryce’s arms.My legs finally solidified enough to stand, and I took my own weight back. He still didn’t let go.

I didn’t either.

Tambre continued talking. “Believe me, my friend, you’re in good company. All I’m saying is, if you need to take a minute or two, your chair will be here waiting for you.”

My scrambled thoughts failed to order themselves, but one stood out. I wasn’t fired along with my roommate. Or former roommate.

“You got a coat? Grab it and let’s go.”

Bryce’s deep command took over, and I moved with him as he took my hand. I noticed Robert had disappeared, but I didn’t think anything of it. Tambre tossed me my padded jacket, and Bryce led me from the salon.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Taking a ride.”

“Isn’t it too cold?”

“We’re not going far.”

He held the heavy garment as I slipped my arms into the sleeves and zipped up the front.

“Gloves?”

I pulled out the thick over-the-cuff ones I had in my pockets and put them on. He handed me a full-face helmet he’d pulled from one saddlebag. “It’s my mom’s from when I used to take her riding with me. I keep it in here just in case I ever need it.”

I remembered seeing that same helmet handed to Donna on the night he took her on the Dragon Runners’ final run of their Halloween barbecue. He placed it on my head and tightened the strap under my chin. “Fit okay?”

“Yes.” I sounded hoarse.

“I’ll get you a custom one later. Let’s go.”

I was still foggy as I mounted up behind him. It was the heavy cruiser, and I briefly wondered if he’d brought that one specifically for this purpose. Then we took off in a muted roar.

The wind bit into my jeans, and my legs froze quickly. The last time I rode on the back of a bike was in Minnesota. It didn’t take long for me to find my balance, leaning with Bryce and awakening awareness of the man in front of me. His muscles moved with the motorcycle, and I moved with him, taking cues from his position. He revved, and I braced for the surge of power from the beast underneath us. Bare trees flew by as he made his way along the road, and before I knew it, we were entering the Tail. This was where the skill of the rider became critical. Some curves were gentle, and some were so tight, the physical force made me dizzy. I trusted the man guiding the bike along the Dragon’s spines to keep me out of harm’s way.

As he’d stated, we didn’t go far. He came to a pull-off overlooking a stand of trees covering a mountain vista.

I dismounted as he held the bike steady, tendrils of dread uncoiling in my gut. I was alone with Bryce after having all my secrets exposed in the most brutal way possible.

What happens next?

He pulledoff the road at a cleared stopping area with a scenic overlook. Opal dismounted and took the helmet off, handing it to him before walking away. Weatherman stowed it in the saddlebag and observed the woman’s stiff posture, her back tight and her arms clutching themselves as if they were the only things holding her together. He couldn’t blame her, as she was just laid open and raw by someone who was supposed to be a friend.

“You’re a fucking club whore, same as me!”

Kimmie’s nasty words echoed in his mind. There was a story there, and not a pretty one. He’d already made some conclusions about Opal’s past based on what she’d garbled out when she was sick and delusional. He also guessed that there was more to the hairdresser from Minnesota. What he did know for certain was her dedication to her child and making a good life for the both of them.

He kicked out the stand and clicked off the engine before swinging his leg over the seat. The leather chaps squeaked as he made his way to her. He heard the sobs before he reached her, and his heart cracked. Without thinking, he stepped behind her and put his hands up on her shoulders to pull her back against him. “It’s just you and me here, babe. You’re safe.”

She held her breath, and Weatherman held his, waiting for her to shatter like glass. Then she turned to him, buried her head in his leather cut, and let go. He kept silent as she crowned his patch with her tears.

She finally wore herself out, and the calm quiet of the woods took over. The bird sounds and buzz of insects were pretty much gone at this time of year. Only the occasional woody crackle punctuated the air as the trees changed temperature. The bears would be denning by now and had already started their winter sojourn. The Dragon never truly slept even in the winter and waited for whatever confessions Opal would make. It would take her words and hold them for her, absorbing the pain, taking it into itself, and making it disappear to be forgotten.

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